Keno Eye: Fabulous Fontana Arte

Leigh and Leslie Keno, who taught Americans how to love age-old layers of dirt (patina!) and hairy-paw mahogany feet, are suddenly smitten with the sleek chic of glass-clad furniture and lighting with an Italian accent. The Antiques Roadshow twins aren’t turning their backs on Chippendale; they remain faithful to their quest for the best, whether it was designed 76 years ago by architects in Milan or 250 years ago by the famous cabinetmakers of Newport, Rhode Island.

"A room with classic architecture doesn’t need another 12-arm chandelier," opines Leslie Keno, who is taking a break from his senior vice-presidential duties at Sotheby’s to visit brother Leigh and check out his latest haul. "I’d much rather see a blend of the old with the new," he says while flipping through Christie’s and Sotheby’s auction catalogs, pointing out rock-glam chandeliers by Fontana Arte.

"Fontana Arte was expensive when first made; the craftsmanship is amazing," notes Leigh (right), who recently scored this low-slung coffee table by Fontana at Sollo Rago auction house in Lambertville, New Jersey. Flashes of gold leaf peek through the aquamarine glass top, but it was the chipped-ice-like edge and flat, primitive drawings by artist Duilio Barnabé (nicknamed "Dubé") that convinced Leigh to go the distance—$10,800.

The tabletop reminds Leslie of reverse-glass painting—"like the eglomise found on a banjo clock," he says, stroking the table’s edge, which looks jagged but feels smooth. "I love the primitivism," adds Leigh, pointing to the stump-shaped legs and flat, outlined faces. "Dubé’s paintings have sold for $25,000, and this painting on glass reflects his work on canvas."

Photograph by Brian McCayText by Doris AthineosProduced by Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno

The Italian glass company became an artistic hothouse when Milanese architect Gio Ponti signed on as design director in 1931 and was soon joined by glassblower Pietro Chiesa. The creative spark ignited when the maestros combined old-world glassmaking techniques, for which the firm was well known, with daring Italian designs in a style known as Novecento.

"I’ve taken the leap," says Leigh, who recently shed a Regency desk for a lean, angular beauty by Ponti. "I’m interested in design that reflects the best of whatever period it was made."

Consider Fontana Arte’s bold and bellissimo cocktail cabinet shown here. Crafted of pearwood and wrapped in blue glass, it went for $72,000 at Christie’s in December 2006. When it was made in 1937, the cobalt cabinet with a mirrored interior and copper shelves won the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition in Paris. It’s a virtuoso performance piece that fuses traditional cabinetmaking (bronze feet, wood-trimmed escutcheon, and carved legs) to modern glass.

Photograph: Courtesy of Christie’s

While Leigh’s cocktail table was signed "Dubé," most creations by Fontana Arte were left unmarked. "Top-tier architects were commissioning custom pieces," explains New York dealer Brian Kish, who shows at the International Art and Design Fair in Manhattan. To sift through the avalanche of furnishings catalogued as Fontana that appear both online and in shops, Kish consults the Ponti archives, back issues of Domus magazine, Laura Falconi’s book Fontana Arte 1932–1998, Roberto Aloi’s L’arredamento Moderno (Modern Furnishings), and vintage Italian design magazines. "Sometimes there’s a triangular label, but you can get a feel for the weight of the glass, which has a high lead content," notes Kish. "It’s heavy to lift. And you have to train your eye to the repertoire of color. It’s a particular green—verdigris green to cool aquamarine. There are also dusty grays, grayish pinks, and amber, straw colors."

Above, Shakespearean bronze busts decorate a pair of coat hooks by Fontana Arte. Sotheby’s sold them for $11,306 (for four pairs).

Photograph: Courtesy of Sotheby’s

Another name Fontana fans prize is that of French designer Maurice Max–Ingrand (1908–1969), who joined the firm in 1954. The French connection explains why Fontana turns up at Paris flea markets. Shown here is a rare 1950s glass-and-brass chandelier with frosted spikes designed by Max-Ingrand.

Visit Christie’s and Sotheby’s, where a pair of blue glass side tables (one shown here) sold for $140,900 in September. Also tap into wright20.com[3] and ragoarts.com[4].

New York dealer Brian Kish is the go-to guy for Italian mods (briankish.com[5]), and gallery owner Jim Elkind of Lost City Arts (lostcityarts.com[1]) travels the world in search of 20th-century design so you won’t have to. But to unleash a mother lode of Fontana Arte stashed at antiques shops around the country, try 1stdibs.com[6].

Kish warns that not all the Fontana Arte pieces on the market is vintage. "Fontana Arte is still in business and periodically reissues its great hits, just as Venini reissues [Carlo] Scarpa and Ponti." If you prefer early vintages, proceed with caution.